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Cobblers shock #2 Roosevelt

Belle Fourche mercy rules Thorpes




One of the few times in the game the Pine Ridge defense was able to contain the Belle Fourche ground attack. Willie Dubray (7) and Greg Swick wrap up Bronc Morgen Garrett.

One of the few times in the game the Pine Ridge defense was able to contain the Belle Fourche ground attack. Willie Dubray (7) and Greg Swick wrap up Bronc Morgen Garrett.

PINE RIDGE— For a time, the Pine Ridge Thorpes had turned things around, and were in the upper echelon of Class A 11-man football, but the wheels popped back off these past couple of weeks, resulting in a 68-14 defeat at the hands of the visiting Belle Fourche Broncs last Friday night.

One thing not in dispute, Thorpe Quarterback Halin Bad Bear, can sling it. The Thorpes couldn’t do much on the ground in their losing effort, but Bad Bear was 17-27, for 315 yards, two touchdown passes to Jesse Jensen of 81 and 62 yards, and one interception. Jesse Jensen is a deadly, sure-handed receiver, but what isn’t taken much into statistical account is what Jensen does with the ball after he catches it, a statistic not kept in high school called YAC-yards after catch. In this, Jensen excels. He doesn’t use slick moves, but he has a knack for calculating the angles and opportunities for a big gain, and once he commits himself to a course of action, he has surprisingly explosive speed, which generally eliminates the defender’s angle on him. He has yet to be run down from behind this season, despite being routinely covered by cornerbacks with superior foot speed. The combination of Bad Bear to Jensen is about as good as it gets in South Dakota high school football, and it is a shame the Pine Ridge program is not solid enough to get these two players under the Dakota Dome at Vermillion.

A few weeks back, Rapid City Central defeated Sturgis, for their first win in nine ball games. Last week, they stunned Aberdeen Central, 39-38, and Friday night, hosting former number one rated Sioux Falls Roosevelt at O’Harra Stadium, they went down 18-0, before coming back in the second half to shock Sioux Falls, 19-18.

Central Head Coach Erik Iverson has been aware for sometime what West River football must do to defeat the Sioux Falls schools. Back east, they have well-funded off-season and in-season weight training and drill programs that give them the strength and skill to block and tackle at a level West River teams cannot easily compete against. The only way, on a game-by-game basis; that the Cobblers can match up against Roosevelt, is with heart and execution, and they had a ton of both last Friday night. Whether blocking, tackling, running, or passing, or making a big play when it mattered most, the Cobblers were focused, with a blast furnace fire in their belly. The final game of the season, the traditional crosstown showdown with RC Stevens, should be a lulu. Cars will be parked a quarter-mile away. O’Harra Stadium will be packed.

It has not been a great year for Wayne Sullivan and his St Thomas More Cavaliers, but Friday night they beat a very good Hot Springs team, 21-14. The Cavs had dropped to 1-3 at one point, losing three straight to Tea Area, West Central and Sturgis, outscored 99-26 over those three games. The season started to turn around when they got back-to-back hapless opponents like Cheyenne-Eagle Butte and Douglas, two teams they easily outscored, 107- 13. That is why the win over Hot Springs was huge. The Bison are tough. They shutout Spearfish two weeks ago, 16-0, beat Belle Fourche, 28-21, and Hot Springs now falls to 5-2 overall. The Bison have two games left, a probable easy win over Douglas, and a pick ‘em showdown with Sturgis. STM has to hope they lose to Sturgis and that the Cavs can beat visiting Belle next week, because STM closes out the season against injury weakened Todd County down in Mis- sion. STM QB Ryder Kirsch is a winner— long, lanky, but surprisingly elusive on the scramble, and the kind of player that makes his teammates better.

For so long the Gregory Gorillas were untouchable at 9-AA. Now they are twice beaten. First, beaten by Bon Homme, 7-6, and last Friday, by 7-0 Wolsey- Wessington, 34-13. Unlike the Bon Homme squeaker of a defeat, this defeat was convincing, the kind of defeat that could very well signify a passing of the torch. Bon Homme has only one loss, a 38-36 defeat to Wolsey-Wessington. Nineman football is exciting, and the best teams are high quality juggernauts. Down at 9-B, Gregory’s nearby neighbor, Colome, is undefeated, having just beaten Corsica-Stickney, 60-8. The Cowboys have averaged 61 points a game and given up just seven points a game.

It is uncertain how many of the 9-B teams will opt to play 6-man football, which begins in South Dakota next fall. But there is little doubt the 6-man classification is going to produce some highly competitive, high-octane football fans will love.

Other games

Brandon Valley 34, Watertown 7

Dakota Valley 29, West Central 27

Harding County 52, Newell 0

Harrisburg 14, Brookings 7

Hill City 65, Lower Brule 14

Jones County/White River 42, Kadoka 20

Lemmon/McIntosh 60, Bison 24

Little Wound 51, Crow Creek 0; Nice Homecoming win for Mustangs, but against a struggling opponent.

Madison 10, Tea Area 7; The Bulldogs are tough.

Mobridge/Pollock 43, Sisseton 6

Mount Vernon/Plankinton 40, Chamberlain 12

New Underwood 50, Edgemont 0

Pierre 42, Mitchell 14

RC Christian 44, Lyman County 8

SF Christian 38, Tri-Valley 0

SF Lincoln 31, RC Stevens 20

SF O’Gorman 41, Huron 9; Best team in the state just keeps on rolling.

SF Washington 35, Aberdeen Central 13

Spearfish 42, Douglas 25

Tiospa Zina 42, Iroquois 6

Vermillion 47, Cheyenne- Eagle Butte 16

Wall 42, Philip 12; The Eagles will finish this regular season unbeaten.

Winner 38, Wagner 0

Yankton 77, Sturgis 42 This was actually a close, tough game until the Scoopers collapsed late in the second half.

(James Giago Davies is an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota tribe. He can be reached at skindiesel@msn.com)

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